BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico concluded a perfect Concacaf Nations League C campaign on Sunday evening after handling the Cayman Islands 5-1 in front of a joyous home crowd at the Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel.
They become just the third team in League C history to finish with a record of all wins, following in the footsteps of Guadeloupe and Guatemala from the previous edition of the competition.
The action got started in just the 2nd minute, when Leandro Antonetti launched a free kick that banged off the crossbar and fell directly to Ricardo Rivera who nodded it home to put the hosts ahead 1-0.
After the tough start, the Cayman Islands made a very good showing of themselves for most of the first half, holding off El Huracán Azul even when temporarily reduced to 10 men due to injury. But they could not quite hang on until the break, as Gerald Díaz was able to double
Puerto Rico’s lead in the 40th minute with a low, powerful shot.
In the 70th minute Devin Vega let loose a rocket towards goal, and Jonathan Mclean made a fine save but the rebound bounced to Rivera who tucked it away for his second of the game and sixth of the tournament, putting him one goal back of scoring leader Gerwin Lake. It has to be said that Mclean had an excellent game in net for the Cayman Islands.
The visitors did get a consolation goal in the 85th minute, when Gunnar Studenhoff picked off a back pass and calmly dribbled around the Puerto Rican keeper before passing the ball into the empty net.
Substitute Joel Burgos added the fourth for Puerto Rico in the 89th minute, another routine finish after Mclean parried away another Vega effort. He would get his brace soon after with a 92nd minute header for the fifth and final goal of the game for the hosts.
The Cayman Islands finish in 2nd place with two points, ahead of the British Virgin Islands on goal differential. Puerto Rico finishes with all 12 points out of the possible 12.
